Upsides to the Down Economy/ Take In Pizza

One of my favorite go-to meals that I usually have the makings for at home, is pizza made with Boboli pizza crust. Today I had grilled veggies and fresh mozzarella at hand, so I smeared a Boboli with pesto, topped it with the sliced veggies (red pepper, onion and zucchini), fresh mozzarella and a quick grating of Parmesan and red pepper flakes and I was good to go. Pizza doesn't have to be a nutritional nightmare if you top it with veggies and go easy on the cheese. I usually have half of the small pizza, paired with salad, soup or fruit and save the other half for a quick snack later. It's even good cold. Toppings are limited only by your imagination and are a great way to use up leftovers. Leftover meatballs can be combined with ricotta cheese, sliced sausage can be paired with mushrooms and onions and if all else fails, I make a white pizza with olive oil, sliced garlic, mozzarella and herbs, marinated artichokes and hearts of palm optional. Of course, jarred sauce can be used in many pizzas, but I also love sliced fresh tomatoes, with basil and olive oil. Another plus to these pizzas is once you preheat the oven, you start making your pizza and set it in for ten minutes. The whole process takes 15 minutes, quicker than any delivery pizza I know. Here's a good recipe combining two of my favorites- prosciutto and arugula.

Prosciutto Pizza with Arugula and Parmesan

1 small 8 inch pizza crust

1 T olive oil

a couple peeled and sliced cloves of garlic

2 T grated Parmesan cheese

2 slices (1 ounce) very thin prosciutto

1 medium tomato

1 cup arugula or spinach

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place crust on baking sheet or pizza stone, drizzle with olive oil and scatter garlic over it. Use the back of the spoon to spread evenly. Scatter cheese on top. Coarsely chop prosciutto and scatter it over the cheese. Core and thinly slice the tomato and place the slices evenly over the prosciutto. Bake the pizza about 10 minutes, or until ingredients are heated through. Remove from the oven and pile on the arugula or spinach. Press it down slightly with your hands. Return the pizza to the oven and put in for another minute. Slice and serve. Makes 1 or 2 servings.